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More than 1,400 SmartBrief on Leadership readers weighed in on last week's poll, Which of the following do you think is the most important to good leadership?

Having a clear vision or strategy -- 563 votes 39.2%

Creating a motivational environment for employees -- 409 votes 28.5%

Being a good communicator -- 275 votes 19.2%

Hiring smart people -- 156 votes 10.9%

Rewarding exceptional performance -- 32 votes 2.2%

According to Summus President Eva Schmatz, "Setting direction through clear vision and strategy is still the central job function of the business leader. But, creating the right environment is a strong second at almost 30%. This shows distinct leadership priorities. Set direction, get employees on board."

Related Summaries

The Center for Teaching Quality recently released a report outlining seven qualities that promote teacher leadership in schools. Those include a vision and strategy for teacher leadership, a supportive administration and adequate resources.

Educators can model digital leadership in two key ways, writes Michael Niehoff, a systems and leadership coach in the curriculum and instruction division of the Fresno County Office of Education in California. Strategies include expanding professional networks on social media and publishing online through blogs.

It's spring cleaning, and that also means taking stock of your leadership, writes Henna Inam. Set aside time to reflect on your changing priorities, to forge a new vision and to clear out behavioral and conceptual clutter that might hold you back. "Most of us resist change because we fear losing control. What if our mindset was one where we saw the opportunity to create something new with the changes we see?" Inam writes.

Academic leadership works best when it's a collaborative effort, Matt Reed, vice president of Academic Affairs at Holyoke Community College, writes in this blog post. At a recent conference, Reed noted that some leaders advocate for a strong president setting the agenda, but he believes leadership is a team effort. "Instead of treating the faculty and staff as underlings to be directed, I'm guessing a college would get much better results by treating them as creative people who have something to contribute," Reed writes.

Good leaders should relentlessly communicate their vision, hold people accountable and develop a culture of disciplined execution, writes John Spence. That might sound obvious, but many bosses neglect these basic principles, Spence warns. "[T]here is a huge difference between knowing something ... and living it every day in your organization," he writes.